Electronic gaming machines (“EGMs”) offer a variety of games such as slot games, video poker games, roulette games, keno games and other types of wagering games that are commonly deployed at a casino for use by players. Play on the EGMs typically requires the player to place a wager on the outcome of the game. The games are programmed with a predefined set of outcomes including one or more winning outcomes and one or more losing outcomes. The player is awarded for a winning outcome and receives no award for a losing outcome.
Historically, the simple format of game play with a predefined set of outcomes has been appealing to players even though there are typically more losing outcomes than winning outcomes. However, game designers, players and operators of games are always striving to find appealing features and game functionality that will generate player excitement and increase, or at least maintain the interest of the player. Special awards, multipliers, bonus games and bonus features have become more and more popular in recent years as EGMs have grown more sophisticated, and players enjoy extending play with exciting new features and functionality.
The present invention defines an apparatus and method that adds excitement and a new form of entertainment to the play of wagering games. It does so by offering a fun and captivating game feature which may be implemented in a base game or a bonus game. Like other games played on an EGM, the player places an initial wager to play. A random number generator (“RNG”) on the EGM generates an outcome and that outcome is displayed on the EGM display to the player. The invention may be implemented in a base game, a sub-game, a bonus or free spin game after a trigger in the base game, or in any combination where the game displays blockading game symbols positioned on the reels that are configured to generate wins among a combination of symbols in a group of “accessible” reel positions, but not using symbols located in “blockaded” reel positions. Unblocking game elements during play through winning combinations results in additional rounds of game play where more opportunities to create accessible winning combinations and resulting awards to players are possible.